Centering device.



V. STROH.

GENTERING DEVICE.

PELIGATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1907.

Patented Feb.22,191.

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VICTOR STROH, OF POPLAR BLUFF, MSSOURI.

CENTERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Application filed September 12, 1907. Serial No. 392,559.

'l'o all whom. it 'may concern:

lle it known that l, Vit-'ron S'rnon, a citizen ot' the United States. residing at loplar lilull. Butler county. Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful luiprovenu-nt in Ventering Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable othersl skilled in the art to which it appel-talus to malte and use the same. reference. being had to the accoinpan ving drawings. forming part ot this specification, in nhich Figure 1 is a side elevational View of my improved (entering device: Fig. 2 is a plan vien', partly in section; and Fig. 3 a'vertical sectional vieu taken on theline. 3 3 of Fig. Q.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in centering devices, ne main object being to provide a centering device. which. when used in connection with :i punch and applied to the .vall of a circular :iperture. will locate the punch in the center of the aperture.

(Ether objects and advantages as well as the novel details of construction will he hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, which illu. rate the preferred vform et in v invention. l indicates a center' punch having the usual pointed end Q.

E. is a sleeve slidingly mounted on the punch l. said sleeve being provided with bitnrrated extensions 4 at its upper end. Legs .3 which project radially from the sleeve 3 are pivoted adjacent their upper ends to the extensions 4 and provided with feet 5a at their lower ends.

t3 indicates links, each of which has one of its ends pivoted to one of the legs 5 and its opposite end pivoted to a short sleeve 7, the latter being slidinglt7 mounted on the sleeve Il. A spiral spring 8, which is constantly under tension, incloses the upper ends 9 of Y legs 5, and when the device is not in use this spring censos said ends to frictionally engage the punch, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby maintaining the punch within the sleeve 3.

lTo illustrate the operation of my improved centering device, we will assume that the member indicated by the numeral 10 is a templet provided with a series of circular holes 11, and that it is desired to locate the centers of these holes in the member 12. When it is desired to nd the center of a circular aperture. the legs o are manually moved toward the axis of the punch against the resistance offered b v spring 8, their projecting heels .lbvbeing inserted into the aperture and thereafter allowed to move into engagement with the wall of said aperture, as shown h v dotted lines in Fig. 1. lVhen the parts are in this position the punch is lo' cated in the center of the aperture and is tree to slide in the sleeve To niark the center of the aperture it is only necessary to strike the upper end of the punch with a hammer or other suitable tool.

A centering device constructed as herein shown and described enables the center of an aperture to be found and marked very accurately and with little labor. Then in use the device is firmly located in position, the heels 5b being located within the aperture and forced againstthe walls thereof, While the feet 5 restK on the outer face of the member to which the device is applied.

`While the device herein shown comprises three legs for engaging the Wall of an aperture my invention is not limited to this particular use, as the device may be used-to locate the punch in the center of a solid circular object instead of a circular aperture. l'n this latter use. th'c legs will be forced inwardly against the periphenvv of the object by hand, or a ring 13 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 may be used.

Having thus described the invention, what. is claimed as new and desired to be secured b v Letters Patentis:

1. In a centering device, a punch, a sleeve .slidingly mounted thereon, legs pivoted to said sleeve, means for actuating said legs, a member siidingly mounted on said sleeve, and pivoted links connectmg said member .and sleeve.; substantially as described.

2. In a centerin device, a central member in the form o a punch, and centering means including spring-actuated legs cooperating With said punch, one end of said legs being adapted to engage the member to which the device is applied, the opposite ends thereof being in frictional engagement with the punch when the parts of the device are in inoperative position; substantially as described.

3. In a centering device, a central member in the form of a punch, springactuated centering means slidingly mounted thereon, said means including legs pivoted to a sleeve, an actuating spring surrounding the upper ends of said legs, and connections between said legs for causing them to move in unison; substantially as described.

4. ln a centering device.l a punch, a member slidingly mounted thereon, centering legs pivoted to said member, the upper ends of said legs extending above their pivotal points, means for yieldingly 'forcing the upper ends of said legs into engagementwith the unch, and connections between said legs' or causing them to move in unison; substantially as described.

5. In a centering device,a central member in the form of a punch, a member slidingl),v mounted thereon, centering legs pivoted to said member, and a spring for causing said legsV to move in unison, the lower ends of said legs which rest on the article to which the device is applied being provided with notches which engage the article -to firmly hold the legs and sliding member when the punch is used.

6. In a centering device, a central member in the form of a punch, a member slidingly mounted thereon, centering legs pivoted to said member, and a spring for causing said legs to move in unison, projections on the lower ends of the legs for firmly i l l v l i g l l l holding the same in position on' the article to which the device is applied, and a spring oruactuating said legs; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a punch of a sleeve slidingly mounted on the punch, centering legs pivotally conn cted to the sleeve, the u per end of which legs extend above the s eeve and elastic means engaging the upper ends of the legs for normally forcing said upper legs into engagement with the punch.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a punch of a guide member, supporting legs carried by the guide member and means whereby the upper ends of the supporting legs are normally forced into frictional engagement with the punch for holding the same in the guide member when the device is not in use.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, this 7 day of September 1907.

VICTOR STROH lVitnesses W. Srruce BRoWN, JOHN H. MAGUNS. 

